1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a game system in which the game-player can collect game elements appearing in the progress of the game.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There is known a game system in which game elements such as items appear and the character controlled by the game-player uses them, and the appearing rate of the items varies dependently upon the importance and the like of items. In such a game system, generally, the appearing rate is set to be low for the items that have an effect of advancing the game advantageously, and the appearing rate is set to be high for the items that do not have such effect.
There is also known a game system in which the appearing rate of items varies according to a predetermined schedule. For example, in a game system having a concept of time, the appearing rate of items varies as the time passes, and hence the same items appear frequently at a certain time and appear less frequently at another time.
On the other hand, there is proposed a game system in which a plurality of game apparatuses are connected to each other via communication devices so that a plurality of game-players (i.e., user playing the game, hereinafter used in the same meaning) play the same game with exchanging data between those game apparatuses. Such a game system enables the game-players to exchange items between the game apparatuses, and the game-players can collect items in cooperation with each other.
In a conventional game system, the appearing rate of items is the same for everyone. Namely, important items appear with low appearing rate for every game-player, and less important items appear with high appearing rate for every game-player. Even in a game system in which the appearing rate of items varies according to a predetermined schedule, the same item appears with the same appearing rate for everyone at a certain time. Therefore, when plural game-players play the same game with communicating via the communication devices, it is less significant for the game-players to collect items in cooperation with each other.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a game system capable of varying the appearing rate of item between game-players.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a game system for executing a game in which game elements appear in a progress of the game based on a predetermined appearing rates determined for each game element and the game elements are collected, the game system including: a condition judging unit for judging a certain condition associated with the game at the time of starting the game; and an appearing rate varying unit for varying the predetermined appearing rate based on a result of the judgment by the condition judging unit and for permitting the game element to appear in a progress of the game based on the varied appearing rate.
In accordance with the game system thus configured, a certain condition associated with the game is judged at the time starting the game. All of the game elements are allotted with the appearing rate, which indicates the probability that the element appears in the game. The appearing rate of the game element is changed based on the judgment result. Then, in the progress of the game, the game elements appear based on the changed appearing rate. The certain condition associated with the game is mainly different between the players. The appearing rates of the game elements in the progress of the game may be differentiated between the players, and hence the players can enjoy collecting the game elements in cooperation with each other.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a game system for executing a game in which game elements appear in a progress of the game based on a predetermined appearing rates determined for each game element and the game elements are collected, the game system including: a condition judging unit for judging a certain condition associated with the game at the time of starting the game; and an appearing rate varying unit for varying the predetermined appearing rate only for specific game element based on a result of the judgment by the condition judging unit and for permitting the specific game element to appear in a progress of the game based on the varied appearing rate.
In accordance with the game system thus configured, a certain condition associated with the game is judged at the time starting the game. All of the game elements are allotted with the appearing rate, which indicates the probability that the element appears in the game. The appearing rates of the specific game elements change based on the judgment result. Then, in the progress of the game, the game elements appear based on the changed appearing rate. The certain condition associated with the game is mainly different between the players. The appearing rates of the game elements in the progress of the game may be differentiated between the players, and hence the players can enjoy collecting the game elements in cooperation with each other.
Each of the game elements may belong to one of a plurality of groups, and the appearing rate varying unit may decrease the predetermined appearing rate for the game element belonging to the specific groups based on the judgment result and permit the specific game element to appear in the progress of the game based on the decreased appearing rate. Therefore, the appearing rate of the specific game elements belonging to a certain group may be decreased in the progress of the game. By this, different groups of the game elements become difficult to collect for each player, and hence the players can enjoy collecting the game elements in cooperation with each other.
The game system may further include: a condition judging unit for judging whether or not a predetermined condition set during the game is satisfied; and a unit for increasing the appearing rate for the game elements belonging to the group decreased by the appearing rate varying unit when the predetermined condition is satisfied, and for permitting the game elements belonging to the specific group to appear based on the increased appearing rate. Therefore, in order to increase the appearing rate that has been decreased, the game player should satisfy the predetermined condition set in the game (e.g. stage clear condition), and hence the game-player may have a pleasure in achieving the condition.
The judgment of certain condition associated with the game at the time of starting the game may include judgment of information inputted by a game-player via an input device. Thus., the appearing rates of the game elements may be changed based on the information (e.g., the name and/or age of the game-player) inputted by the game-player via the input device. This enables differentiating the appearing rates of the game elements in the progress of the game, and hence the game-players may enjoy collecting the game elements in cooperation with each other.
The judgment of certain condition associated with the game at the time of starting the game may include judgment of time from a start of the game to a time when a predetermined signal is inputted via an input device. Thus, the appearing rates of the game elements may be changed based on the time from a start of the game to a time when a predetermined signal is inputted via an input device. This enables differentiating the appearing rates of the game elements in the progress of the game, and hence the game-players may enjoy collecting the game elements in cooperation with each other.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer-readable storage medium for storing program which controls a computer to execute a game in which game elements appear in a progress of the game based on a predetermined appearing rate determined for each game element and the game elements are collected, the program controls the computer to function as: a condition judging unit for judging a certain condition associated with the game at the time of starting the game; and an appearing rate varying unit for varying the predetermined appearing rate only for specific game element based on a result of the judgment by the condition judging unit and for permitting the specific game element to appear in a progress of the game based on the varied appearing rate. By executing the program on the storage medium by the computer, the game system according to the present invention may be realized.
In the present invention, the game element is an object which the game-player uses in the game and the use of which affects the progress of the game (such as a result of a battle and/or story change). The example of the game element includes equipment and magic that the character appearing in the role-playing game or action game uses. Also, the character itself may be a game element. Further, the game element may include cards in a card collecting game.